The Last Thing Standing...

      The move is moving forward... doers are getting more done as I am constantly reminded by those Home Depot boxes. We've now reached a tipping point where more stuff is at our destination than it is here. My packing method resembled my quilting method-- no surprise there-- I dibble dabbled here and there, in one room, then the next, never finishing any one thing. I would just wander through each room, skimming off "things we don't need."

     Finally, the "everything must go" realization has taken root, and absolutely everything is going into boxes. There are still a few things I'm holding back and I've quietly wondered, "What will be the last thing standing?" Our bed? Food? A toothbrush? No-- it is definitely going to be my embroidery machine! I kid you not-- the final move will be things I just load into my car before leaving, and the machine fits!

     Running the business, while challenging, is still happening-- I am down to the lowest common denominator in terms of supplies-- machine, thread, minimal fabric, hoops, computer, and a small table, though Mr. SFO has his sights on that! I am not opposed to working on the floor if I have to. Here's a sneak peek at the October Birth Month Mug Rug:

     The Marigolds came straight out of photos from my garden. The Marigold leaf has a beautiful shape and I can't wait to add one in. 

     I have my set of January-September still with me, but alas, the quilt blocks have fallen by the wayside. I will make this quilt over a long, lustrous, and snowy Maine winter.

     In the "things we don't need pile," I did move away ALL of my cross stitch which was a big mistake. Without even ten minutes of hand stitching in the morning, I just don't feel like getting up right now. So the last time we took a run to Maine, I snuck up to the attic where all my sewing supplies are (I didn't want Mr. SFO to see I was moving stuff BACK to Massachusetts) and pulled out this:

    

 Then, just for fun, I looked up the photo of where this was when I pulled it out of a 20 year old box, four years ago:

     So, you can see, I finished the killer border-- the reason why I put this away in the first place. But I still have to cut and pull the threads out of the big window (this is a terrifying process) and then stitch the Christmas tree which is on its own layer behind the window. Clever, huh? I loved that about this piece.

    This is about the last of my vintage cross stitch UFOs-- can you believe it-- but there were only 4 or 5 of them, from an era when I did not have the disposable income or the disposable time to collect dozens. So, I still like this piece, and beyond that, I still have a few vintage unopened kits, but I'm feeling that the next one I work on I'd like to be newer, something more reflective of where I am now. I found these two gorgeous pieces from Owl Forest Stitchery--

Blueberries (for Maine):

     ...or look at this Turtle one. My son loves turtles, and I do have a woodsy cabin by a pond so this would be PERFECT. Thankfully, no expenditure has yet been made-- I have months of unpacking ahead of me before I would even consider it. (haha)

     I swiped these two photos from the Owl Forest website which I believe is called HandworkByJulia on Etsy. Check it out!

     Have you been following my Gypsy Trails kids on YouTube? They are hiking the Appalachian Trail. They are 1800 miles in from Georgia to New Hampshire now!  So last Saturday, I thought the hike had come to an end when my daughter called, extremely upset, to say how much her feet hurt, she couldn't even walk, and that she needed to get off the trail, skip the White Mountains, and rejoin the boys up in Maine.

    I had to do a gut check-- I'm all or nothing girl-- should advise her to continue, or just let her give up on the dream? I am so proud of myself to say, I immediately told her we would come and get her, she had made a tremendous achievement, there was no reason to suffer through the next week, risk a bigger injury, etc. etc. I further noted to myself that in years hence, when I mentioned my daughter hiked the Appalachian Trail, I was not going to qualify it with "EXCEPT THE WHITE MOUNTAINS." There is truly nothing left for this wonder woman to prove! All this gut checking was needless-- I'm happy to say that they rested for the next day, and then she felt better and was able to continue on! So going from a really bad day, she then had the best day of her life and took incredible photographs like this:

Its hard to even comprehend seeing this in person-- that furthest mountain in the clouds is VERY FAR away, just to imagine the scale. I know you Rockies people might scoff at our Mount Washington which is a mere 6,288 feet, but some of the highest winds and extreme conditions on the planet occur here.

And best of all, there's a metaphor! I love a metaphor, although my daughter hates them! You could be having a terrible, terrible time in life, unable to move forward-- just get through the hours as best you can. There's a chance the next sunrise may be the best day of your entire life!

    For me, it's back to packing now. Let me just thank you for being out there and caring about my little corner here and allowing me heal myself in a tough time but writing these words.

xox

Carol